St. John Regional School administrative assistant Tara Puleo remembers being in her office the morning of Dec. 8 and hearing a sudden loud crash as first responders entered the building.

“As I stepped out into the hall I was told this was a lockdown, that an active shooter was in the building,” Puleo said. “I just turned around and set off the alarms to go into lockdown, and we went to hide.”

Just minutes earlier, Concord Police had received a 911 call from a caller claiming that there was an active shooter in the school. The call was later determined to be a hoax – one of multiple hoax calls phoned in about New Hampshire schools that day, which the FBI has been investigating.

Puleo said she did not panic in that moment because she knew all the students were out of the building attending Mass next door at Christ the King Parish, and that first responders would make sure the building was safe.

On Tuesday, students from St. John Regional School presented Concord police, firefighters, state police, and representatives from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management with Valentine’s Day cards in a ceremony held at the Boys and Girls Club to express their appreciation for the quick response in December. The event was organized by members of the Knights of Columbus Council 112, which made a monetary donation to the Concord Boys and Girls Club in honor of the responders. The Knights have been doing charity work in Concord for 128 years.

“First responders, even though the event Dec. 8th was a false alarm, displayed brave and selfless service and deserve this honor today as well as our enduring appreciation,” said John Donovan, church activities director for the Knights of Columbus Council 112. “Only those who have come under attack, or have felt the heat of fire, know what it is to swallow fear and anxiety and move into life-threatening danger to save and protect life.”

Tara Henley, an English and math teacher at St. John Regional, thanked first responders Tuesday during the ceremony where each were given certificates of appreciation. on Dec. 8, Henley remembers being focused staying calm for the sake of the students.

“I was not scared or worried until afterwards when I realized the severity of what could have happened,” Henley said after. “During it, it was like, ‘I have to make sure all the kids are accounted for, we have to get them picked up, we have to make sure there’s a plan of action.’”

Concord Police Sgt. Mark Schneible, who was one of the recipients of the Valentine cards, described the Dec. 8 experience as “nerve-wracking” but said that all first responders handled it well, and acted without hesitation.

“The appreciation is great,” Schneible said. “The City of Concord is a great city to work in. We have the support of the community, which is awesome, and it’s very nice to be appreci ated.”

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